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Friday, January 30, 2015

Ditch the Treadmill for 5 other pieces of inexpensive workout equipment

The Friday 5 this week is all about Indoor Fitness. Since both of us are having problems with our legs, we've been doing lots of indoor activities lately.

When you don't feel like running outdoors ( or it's a little too cold or snowy), you automatically think of the dreaded treadmill. We both have been physically unable to run for a while so the treadmill has not been an option for us lately. We have found that we can still get in a good work out with these other simple pieces of equipment.

1. Fitness Ball: This is probably one of our favorite pieces of equipment to use but it can be dangerous if you don't use it properly. Balance is key. You can use it in a multitude of ways. Sit on it to do sit ups, strengthen you legs by using it for bridges, and lots of core and ab exercises. Since these moves are difficult to explain, we've linked to a page on Helpful ways to use the fitness ball for beginners.2. The Xfinity Bands: The Xfinity bands take the plain old fitness band to a whole new level. I would suggest using them with a video first to learn some moves, and then you can do a few stretches and strengthening moves on your own whenever the mood strikes.

My sister actually did a post on the Xfinity band HERE, if you would like to learn more about it.

3. Another inexpensive item that is very is a therapy resistance band. We got some from Physical therapy and my sister has been faithful in using hers. We actually looked up the actually name of these bands and it is Physical Therapy band, go figure. You can purchase them at Walmart, Target, or any sports retailer. These are not the "tube bands". They are like really thick rubber bands and they are great for strengthening up leg muscles. Our favorite move is putting them around your knees before doing clamshells or putting them around your ankles and doing lunges.

4. Don't forget about the plain old jump rope. Nothing fancy about this one. A jump rope is great cardio.

5. Ankle weights are a joy. You can strap those on and do almost any activity. Here is an example of how you can build strength in your upper legs and help a tight IT band or Hamstring.

Seated IT band/Hamstring stretch: You can't tell in this picture but she has 3 pound weights strapped to her ankles ( You can use which ever weight feels right to you). You'll want to sit on a hard surfaced chair. Put a pillow under the leg you will be stretching. Arch your back as you grip the underneath part of the chair ( this is very important in feeling the resistance as you stretch). Lift the leg up until your knee is straight and then for a bit more stretch, flex your toes up. Do this 10X with each leg. Don't forget to move the pillow under the leg you are stretching.

I do a lot of these exercises in the evenings while I am watching my shows. I would normally want to reach for the snacks but instead, I'll do a set a bodyweight exercises during the commercial breaks. I do a set of squats, lunges, crunches, and push ups. By the time I am finished, the commercials are over and my show is back on. It really does pass the time. And who can complain of a few more calories burned?

Great ideas! Everytime I went to a PT appt, they would give me a couple more bands. I kept them, all, I have a small container full of them. They are expensive to buy alone, so I figured I might as well stock up while I was paying for expensive PT, LOL. But I agree, they are great for several types of exercises!

I'm actually in the market for ankle weights...I just haven't gotten around to getting them yet. I'm still doing leg lifts that my PT prescribed and wanted to add in the ankle weights for fun! The PT bands are great for so many things - I"m so glad I've got a collection. That infinity band looks fun too. I love anything that won't take up too much space!

I love a resistance band. I started using them when I was recovering from a knee injury in high school and I bought one to use shortly afterwards. I use mine to help with hip and glute strength...to combat future knee issues! :) -C

I use resistance bands from my PT for some prescribed exercises he gave me. They are a really great tool! This post reminds me that I need a new stability ball... ours deflated for some unknown reason!

Fairytales and Fitness is a personal blog authored and edited by us, Meranda and Lacey. The thoughts expressed here represent only our own and are not meant to be taken as professional advice. Please note that our thoughts and opinions change from time to time. We consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind in an ever changing society. Any thoughts and opinions expressed within our out-of-date posts may not be the same, nor even similar, to those we may express today. Some links may contain affiliate links. Some links are just to pages we'd like to share.

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Fairytales and Fitness by Lacey and Meranda

About Us

We are two sisters who are runners and Disney lovers. On this blog we tell our stories of traveling, training, races, ( and a few tips we've learned along the way). We talk about products we've tried and all the things that bring us joy (including our yellow Labradors). Thanks for visiting and we hope you enjoy what you read.